Having to Cancel PIP Appointments Due To Holiday

Having fun and games with Capita and their non-listening appointments system. I have been on highest care and mobility DLA since 2009 and am now being called in for PIP assessment. They sent me an appointment for 22nd February in Derby which I can't attend as I will be on holiday. I rang them straightaway and told them my holiday dates and have today received another for 23rd February, when we will still not be in the country! To make matters worse, it's in Leicester, an 80 mile round trip from where I live in Derby, but the first appointment was in Derby! I'm now quite alarmed as Googling has revealed that if you cancel two appointments they refer you back to the DWP as a failure to attend. None of this is my fault and I was very clear on when my holiday dates were. Do you know if this is correct about the failure to attend thing? I'm not failing to attend, I simply can't because I will be out of the country. Not much I can do about it unless they want me to spend another £800 on return flights from Tenerife! Knowing this lot, I wouldn't put it past them, they'd probably think it was perfectly reasonable. Can't see them sucking up the expenses claim though, somehow ..... just a feeling.

Any advice gratefully received.

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Yes, you are right in saying that the claimant is normally allowed to change an assessment appointment only once without risking the file being returned to DWP and the claim closed

However, it is in your favour that you documented on the PIP2 the dates that you are not available. The initial appointment is generated by computer with no reference to the claim form!

When you phone to cancel this appointment, you need to do 2 things -

Firstly, make it absolutely clear that the fault lies with the assessment provider and this should not count against you.

Secondly, have your diary to hand so that you can make another appointment while you are on the phone. You should be able to change assessment venue too.

The claimant can be required to travel for no more than 90 minutes to reach the assessment venue (this is calculated as if you were travelling by public transport). This should also be in your favour if the second venue is further away than this.

Have a look at our PIP guide which explains what to expect at the assessment.

May I suggest that you bookmark/favourite this on your web browser now so that you can find it easily in future? This will allow you to return with further questions or comments about your PIP without having to start a new topic each time. We ask members to keep everything relating to the same claim in one topic as it helps us enormously - and I hope you will find it useful too

Many thanks. I didn't put this holiday date on the PIP claim form, that was completed back in November and this holiday was a last minute deal booked last week, however I did make it clear on the phone when these dates would be. Nothing I can do until Monday now as they're shut for the weekend. But thanks for the information, I feel slightly better about it and at least my partner will be able to drive me to Leicester if they still want me to go there. Cheers :-D

When I rang Atos to change my wifes assessment date, she could not travel due to just coming out of hospital after hip replacement, I was told that they could only make appointments for up to two weeks ahead. As they had no other available slots in the next two weeks I was advised to cancel and ring back the following week as a new appointment could not be booked at that time. I rang back the following week and again no slots were available. I was then told that my wife qualified for a home assessment and would that suit better. Doh! obviously. Suprise, there were no home assessment available in the next two weeks either. I was advised to keep ringing back and they made a note that a home assessment was needed. Three days later the postie delivered a home appointment letter. It is so easy to rant and rave at these incompetant fools, but a calm and polite manner often gets better results.